FREEPORT — It’s already been an historic season for Aquin’s volleyball program, but the Bulldogs hope to take it a step further in the postseason.

After setting a new school record for wins with 26 during the regular season, Aquin now aims for its first regional title since 1990. The Bulldogs have the enviable opportunity of playing regionals on their home floor, but the path to a title includes one very challenging obstacle: top-seeded defending Class 1A state champion Keith Country Day.

The Cougars, who ended Aquin’s season last year in the Durand Regional championship match, would again likely be the opponent the Bulldogs would face in the final should Aquin advance past either No. 3 Durand or No. 6 Orangeville in the semifinals.

“We know what we have coming toward us,” Aquin coach Courtney Pehl said. “It is going to be nice playing on our home court.

“I don’t think that they have that much of an advantage over us. They have really great players obviously, but they have weaknesses just like any other team.”

For the Bulldogs to have a chance at knocking off the reigning champs, they’ll need to avoid making the kind of mistakes in their service game that have plagued them throughout the season.

“It really gets to us,” Pehl said of her team’s serving struggles. “We’ve been doing a lot of mental serving training in the past couple of weeks to try to get them understanding that we have a lot of pressure on us, but we’ve got to serve. It’s muscle memory.”

Serving accurately will help the Bulldogs, but it won’t be all it takes to beat a very solid and experienced Keith team that features multiple weapons.

“I think that we’ll just have to make sure that we continue working really hard with our defense,” Pehl said. “Our offense is improving. We do have a limited offense but I think that it works for us, and as long as we continue to get strong on the defensive end, I think that’s what will be key for us.”

Like Aquin, Stockton is also shooting for its second ever regional title. The Blackhawks earned their first last season and also saw their season come to an end at the hands of Keith in the sectional finals.

Stockton will be at home to start this postseason as the No. 2 seed of its own regional, which features (No. 1) Galena, (No. 3) Warren, (No. 4) East Dubuque, (No. 5) River Ridge and (No. 6) Scales Mound.

Page 2 of 2 - Blackhawks coach Colleen Fox will look to the older players to utilize their postseason experience.

“I think every time that you compete at the high level or in big games I think you learn to believe in yourselves,” Fox said. “Those are experiences that as much as you try to simulate them in practice, it’s not the same as being in that gym where the crowd is crazy or it’s that battle back and forth and you have to stay focused. Those experiences, I hope, will help, and those leaders will be able to help their teammates along the way.”

Stockton will face the winner of Warren vs. Scales Mound in the semifinals. Top-seeded Galena will face either East Dubuque or River Ridge in its semifinal matchup. The Pirates’ season had been ended by Dakota in each of the past two years -- in the 1A sectional final in 2011 and in the 2A regional final on their home floor in three sets last year.

Because they dropped to 1A this season, the Pirates at least won’t have to worry about the Indians as they try to win their seventh regional plaque, and third in the past six years.

Eastland, which hosts the other 1A area regional as a 3 seed, is in a regional title drought by its standards. The Cougars haven’t won one since 2010. Prior to 2011 they captured 12 straight, which included three state appearances and back to back titles in 2008 and 2009.

Eastland will face 2-seeded Forreston in the semifinals, with the winner likely advancing to face top seed Erie, a team that advanced to sectionals last year.